I love making holiday projects early. I also have found that if I don't make my Christmas projects "way- before" ( that's not a real word, is it? ) Christmas, I end up making no major projects.
Do you sew this way, or do you "sew well" under pressure?
I was delighted to make a modern mini pattern during September. It is a cool design from the new issue of the digital magazine Paper Piecing 1/4 " ( issue 7 Oct-Dec 2015).
The designs are by Janeen, over at Quilt Art Designs blog! Her modern designs are incredible and fun, and take me out of my traditional "comfort zone" !
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| Paper Piecing 1/4 " issue 7 Oct-Dec 2015 (Here) |
*** This new issue # 7 includes- Pine Cones, Cardinals, Santa, Deer, Baby Rudolph, Stars, Christmas Bells, Modern Mini Ornaments , and more!! ***
Cardinals- design by Janeen at Quilt Art Designs { here }
Size - 14 " x 18 " Mini wallhanging or quilt
Foundation Paper Piecing - Intermediate level
Fabrics- White Lotta Dots- White on White tonal from Connecting Threads
Cardinals- scraps Moda fabrics
Pine Needles- Lime Green Kona Cotton Michael Miller
Batting- Warm and Natural (scraps sewn together)
Thread- Aurifil White 50 weight
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| Cardinals made by Susie's Sunroom |
I was so excited to put all of the sections together! Can you see the white dots on the white background fabric? I wanted it to feel like it was snowing on Mr and Mrs Cardinal.
This may become my favorite winter background fabric. ( Lotta Dots by Connecting Threads)
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| The flimsy top |
I was "auditioning" binding fabrics,in the above photo . I liked seeing something that felt earthy and bark-like.
I also had to figure out how to quilt and fill up the "negative" space on this design.
I decided to pick a focal point : the center of the spray of pine needles in the top right corner . Then I would continue lines of quilting outward from this point.
I hoped it would give a feeling of light radiating from this point, and also of snow blowing from this direction.
I used my trusty Walking Foot and Aurifil White 2024 thread, for machine quilting the flimsy top . It didn't take long to mark my lines with creases , using a long ruler and a Clover Hera Marker tool. (here )
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| The quilting focal point is the spray of pine needles in the right hand corner of the quilt |
This is a close up of Mr and Mrs Cardinal. I love the details that Janeen put into each of these birds! The eye sections have 9 and 10 sections in them, with just a teensy bit of white!
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| Close up of the Cardinals |
The binding was sewn on the front, by machine, using my walking foot. Then I pressed it into place, and sewed it by hand onto the back. ( I love using these small, but mighty, Wonder Clips. ) I finished the hand sewing in one evening on this small quilt. This last bit of sewing the binding by hand is very comforting to me. It really connects me to the "quilt part" of the project !
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| It's ready for sewing the binding to the back of the quilt! |
This Cardinals Mini project even got the "husband seal of approval !"
Stay tuned for more projects coming from this issue 7 of Paper Piecing 1/4 " !
I am linking up at: Paper Piecing Party @ Quilt Art Designs and
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and
Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio and
Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts and
And Sew We Craft Together @ And Sew We Craft and
Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways
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| I'm off to my sewing room! |
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| Pattern provided by QAD Publishing |
